He might be one of the greatest players to ever touch the Counter-Strike series, and one of the most recognizable names in the entire Esports industry, but Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev has extended his already-impressive reach by making Forbes’ fabled ‘30 under 30’ list. The Ukrainian superstar made Forbes’ Europe 2022 Sports & Games category alongside G2 content creator and Twitch sensation Ibai “ibai” Llanos, and joins some other famous CS:GO names that have made similar headlines over the years. To learn more about how NAVI’s biggest name added another record to CV, check out Gamelevate’s full take right here!
What Is The Forbes 30 Under 30?
The Forbes 30 Under 30 is a celebratory shortlist of professionals under the age of 30 who have either made a name for themselves with their achievements or who have dramatically impacted the industry they work in.
As Esports and the gaming world have continued to explode in both popularity and scope, more and more pro players and content creators have found their way into this shortlist. The likes of Ninja and Pokimane have both found their way into the list as content creators, whilst League of Legends pro Luke ‘Perkz’ Perkovic was included back in 2021.
S1mple isn’t the first CS:GO to make the 30 under 30 either, with Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz and Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut both being included in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
As the name would lead you to believe, the ‘Forbes Europe 2022 Sports & Games” shortlist isn’t just reserved for those who have made a splash in the digital space. Forbes have cast a pretty wide net when it comes to the list, with everyone from Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Ferrari Formula One driver Charles LeClerc Tennis sensation Emma Raducanu and PSG center-forward Kylian Mbappe all making the cut this year, alongside developers and directors at companies like EA and Square Enix .
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A Powerful Statement
S1mple was already one of the most famous CS:GO pros on the planet over the last couple of years, however the past twelve months or so has seen his stock reach all-new heights.
Reclaiming his throne as the world’s highest-rated player, his performances led NAVI to a record Intel Grand Slam and their first-ever Major Championship at PGL Stockholm, where the Ukrainian scooped the MVP award.
Along with Paralympian Dmytro Suiarko, S1mple’s inclusion comes as a powerful statement amid the continued Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the CS:GO pro being a potent voice against the destruction of his home country.
Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe Sports & Games 2022: List In Full:
Kylian Mbappé (23): Center Forward, Paris Saint-Germain
Bella Collins (29): Rower, Ocean Sheroes
Fabien Devide (29): Cofounder, Team Vitality
Georgina Felce (28): Cofounder, Talewind
Rudy Gobert (29): Center, Utah Jazz
Arthur Guisasola (27): Strategic Partner Lead, Sport, TikTok
Alex Jolliet (28): Manager, Principal Security Architect, IOC
Piers Kicks (23): Founding Partner, Delphi Ventures
Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev (23): Esports Athlete, NAVI
Charles LeClerc (24): F1 Driver, Ferrari
Michaela Lintrup (24): Esports Athlete, G2 Esports
Ibai Llanos Garatea (27): Content Creator
Angela Marinica (28): Finance Manager, Electronic Arts
Lee McNeil (26): Founder, Tebex
Pruthvikar Reddy Mosali (29): Cofounder, Motion Metrics
Aaron Naisar (28): Chief of Staff, leAD Sports & Health Tech Partners
Lawrence Okolie (29): CEO, Okolie Boxing
Luca Pferdmenges (20): Juggler
Carlota Planas (29): Cofounder, Unik Sport Management
Emma Raducanu (19): Tennis Player
Iga Swiatek (20): Tennis Player
Mohamed Salah (29): Winger, Liverpool
Robbie Singh (28): CEO, Omeda Studios
Dmytro Suiarko (25): Paralympic Athlete, Team Ukraine
Antonio Poderoso, Jorge González, Arnau Vidal: Team Heretics Cofounders
Gustaf Smith, Robin Åström (29, 28): Cofounders, Wehype
Kat (Katherine) Welsford (28): Digital Analyst, Square Enix
Vera Wienken (29): Brand Manager, Riot Games
Charlotte Worthington (25): BMX Athlete, Team Great Britain
Amanda Zahui Bazoukou (28): Center, Los Angeles Sparks
